Inland, Dreaming of Waves

Public transport

I went to a NARAL planning meeting tonight. As I was walking back from their office to downtown Denver, I felt so happy. Happy that it was still light after 7 at night, happy to be walking through the concrete and glass jungle, happy to be scooting across Broadway trying to avoid getting run over.

Living in suburbia, I miss walking everywhere. I CAN walk to the store, the coffee shop, the laundry, but I don't enjoy it because all I get to walk by are suburban homes. I think the suburb has to be about the most boring landscape on the planet. Not to mention that the Broomfield city council's idea of a sidewalk looks like it was laid out by a drunk. I suppose they're striving for the country effect:

"Oh, look, Virginia, a lovely winding sidewalk on the way to the strip mall!"

I'd like to be able to go out my door into a more urban landscape, hop on a bus and get to where I'm going. Driving is convenient, but sitting on a bus is usually pretty soothing to me, and I can read. The real drag about riding the bus comes when you have to take two buses to get to where you're going, sandwiched in between a long walk on either end. Or if you're doing errands--trying to get to stores all over a city is definitely not fun on a bus. I know; I took buses for years and years. It was reasonably easy in Boulder and in Washington, DC, but in Broomfield--naah. It's a pain in the ass.

Tonight I was wondering if I'd be happier having a job at an office. I think the answer is probably no, I'd get bored with that just as I get bored working at home all day. I guess I'm just a grass-is-greener type of person. Or a person with a need for endless changes of pace. And I've spent so many years not having to answer to anyone for my schedule--that would take some getting used to.

"Whaddya mean, I can't have vacation next week? Eat my Uzi!"

I can see the headline: "Former copyeditor goes postal."

"She was always so quiet," said Sex Scenes at Starbucks, playing with one of her piercings. "We never thought she'd do anything like that."

posted by Price of Silence @ 9:35 PM